An off-path sight

NORTH KINGSTOWN — Sitting unassumingly to the side of Boston Neck Road, in front of the Hamilton Web Condominiums, rests a sight to which locals and visitors alike have been flocking all week. There, nestled within an old mill pond, grow the lotus flower, a beautiful aquatic plant which is currently in bloom.

The flowers were a gift given back in 1983, planted by the Dworman Brothers as part of their development to revamp the Hamilton-Web Mill Complex into the current condominium complex.
“The conditions there in the old control gate area between the mill pond and the mill raceway that once directed water up to the old mill are perfect for them,” said local historian and town water quality specialist G. Timothy Cranston. “The pond has fairly good water quality and the control gate area is sheltered from the weather.”
“They are a wonderful addition to North Kingstown,” he added.
Visitors have mulled around, commenting on the white, rosy-tipped petals that, once the lotus flower has bloomed, fall gently into the giant plant leaves and water below.
“I used to live around here, but never noticed these before,” commented one photographer at the scene.
The lotus, or scientifically nelumbo nucifera, is native to tropical areas throughout the globe, namely in Asian countries. The flowers and their stalks can grow up to 59 inches, while the plant leaves have a diameter as large as 23 inches.
The lotus’ seeds can also be dried and eaten.
The flower is particularly venerated in India and often associated with the Hindu deities Vishnu and Lakshmi, representing purity.
“One who performs his duty without attachment, surrendering the results unto the Supreme God, is not affected by sinful action, as the lotus leaf is untouched by water,” reads the Bhagavad Gita, the epic scripture of Hindu literature.
In Buddhism, the lotus is also a symbol of fortune as well as spiritual purification.
Regardless of symbolism, however, the lotus flower’s beauty is striking. The gift of the Dworman brothers remains, sitting off Boston Neck Road for all to see.